Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning 10,990 square kilometres
(4,240 sq mi) in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about 145 kilometres (90 mi)
south of Cuba, and 191 kilometres (119 mi) west of Hispaniola (the island
containing the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic); the
British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands lies some 215 kilometres (134 mi) to the
north-west. The indigenous people, the Yamaye (also known as the Taíno), called the island Xaymaca in an Arawakan language, meaning
the "Land of Wood and Water" or the "Land of Springs". Colloquially
Jamaicans refer to their home island as the "Rock". Slang names such
as "Jamrock", "Jamdown" ("Jamdung" in Jamaican Patois), or briefly "Ja", have derived from
this.
Originally inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Taíno peoples, the island came under Spanish rule following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in
1494. The island remained a possession of Spain until 1655, when England (later
Great Britain) conquered
it, renaming it Jamaica. Beginning in the 1840s, the British began utilising
Chinese and Indian indentured labour to work on plantations.
The island achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962. Politically
it is a Commonwealth realm, with Elizabeth II as its queen. Her appointed
representative in the country is the Governor-General of Jamaica,
an office held by Patrick Allen since
2009. Andrew Holness has served
as Prime Minister of Jamaica
since March 2016. Jamaica is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy
with legislative power vested in the bicameral Parliament of Jamaica,
consisting of an appointed Senate and a directly elected House of Representatives.
Today, however, Jamaica is
now the home to about 3,000 species of native flowering plants (of which over 1,000 are endemic and 200 are species of orchid), thousands of species of non-flowering flora, and
about 20 botanical gardens, some of
which are several hundred years old. Areas of heavy rainfall also contain
stands of bamboo, ferns, ebony, mahogany, and rosewood. Cactus and similar
dry-area plants are found along the south and southwest coastal area. Parts of
the west and southwest consist of large grasslands, with scattered stands of
trees.
Jamaican's fauna, typical
of the Caribbean, includes highly diversified wildlife with many
endemic species. As with other oceanic islands, land mammals are mostly several
species of bats of which at least three endemic species are found only in
Cockpit Country, one of which is at-risk. Other species of bat
include the fig-eating and hairy-tailed bats. The only non-bat native mammal extant in
Jamaica is the Jamaican hutia, locally
known as the coney. Introduced mammals such as wild boar and the small Asian mongoose are
also common. Jamaica is also home to about 50 species of reptiles, the largest
of which is the American crocodile; however,
it is only present within the Black River and a few other areas. Lizards such
as anoles, iguanas and snakes such as racers and the Jamaican boa (the largest snake on the island), are common in
areas such as the Cockpit Country. None of Jamaica's eight species of native
snakes is venomous.
Jamaica is home to about
289 species of birds of which 27 are endemic including the endangered black-Billed parrots and
the Jamaican blackbird, both
of which are only found in Cockpit Country. It is also the indigenous home to four
species of hummingbirds (three of which are found
nowhere else in the world): the black-billed streamertail,
the Jamaican mango, the Vervain hummingbird, and red-billed streamertails.
The red-billed streamertail, known locally as the "doctor bird", is
Jamaica's National Symbol. Other notable species include the Jamaican tody and the Greater flamingo.
British stamps were used
from 8 May 1858 in Kingston and from November 1858 at other offices. Until
1860, the postal service under the control of Great Britain, despite repeated
efforts by Jamaican authorities to take over. Soon afterwards, British stamps
were no longer accepted, and De La Rue was commissioned to produce
stamps for Jamaica, featuring a laureate profile of Queen Victoria. The
first issue consisted of five values ranging from one penny to one shilling,
each with a different frame, inscribed "JAMAICA POSTAGE", and were watermarked with a pineapple design. They were first issued on 23 November 1860. In
1900, Jamaica's first pictorial stamp featured a view of Llandovery Falls.
For unknown reasons, Jamaica did not adopt a profile of Edward VII upon his
accession. Instead, beginning in 1903, new stamps featured the coat of arms of the colony. Following a special petition in
1910, Edward VII was recognized posthumously on a two-pence gray stamp issued 3
February 1911.
Stamps depicting George V were more
timely, first appearing in 1912. A pictorial series in 1919 included twelve
stamps, ranging from the Jamaica
Exhibition of 1891 to various statues and scenery. A set of four
stamps with historic scenes marked the 300th anniversary of British control in
1955, followed in 1956 by a series of 16 stamps depicting flora, fauna, and
local scenery. Upon independence in 1962, the 1956 stamps were overprinted "INDEPENDENCE" and "1962". In
1964, a set of three depicted Miss World Carole Joan Crawford; they
were soon followed by a new series of 16 with various designs. Only the
one-pound value included a portrait of Queen Elizabeth; from independence on,
the Queen was rarely included in designs.
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